Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The global push for stricter data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, coupled with the rising cost of skilled labor and the increasing complexity of IT environments, makes robust and efficient credential management a critical business imperative. Organizations are actively seeking solutions that not only enhance security posture but also improve operational efficiency and ensure compliance, driving demand for innovative technologies that can automate secure access without compromising data integrity.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Achieves highest level of security and convenience by recording confidential information in encrypted, rewritable memory outside the computer's memory map, balancing automatic input convenience with reduced data leakage risk.

02

Enables reliable digital asset inheritance by recording decryption keys for encrypted sensitive information in the information terminal device's non-volatile memory, ensuring access to often-obscure digital assets.

03

Facilitates easy integration into existing systems by utilizing commercially available, general-purpose rewritable memory like USB drives, simplifying incorporation into current information terminal devices and computer systems.

Market Opportunity
Enterprise Corporations
$3B–$4B globally (AI est.)
Large organizations face significant employee password management burdens and escalating IT help desk costs. This technology could address urgent needs for efficiency and enhanced security.
Global IT service providers Large enterprise software vendors Cybersecurity solution integrators
Cloud Service Providers
$1.5B–$2.5B globally (AI est.)
Companies offering SaaS and PaaS aim to provide secure access to their services, building customer trust and improving competitiveness. Integrating this technology could be highly effective.
Major cloud platform providers SaaS application developers Identity and Access Management (IAM) vendors
Financial Institutions
$1B–$2B globally (AI est.)
In the financial sector, where high security and compliance are paramount, this technology could minimize information leakage risks and serve as a robust solution for protecting customer digital assets.
Retail banking technology providers Investment firm IT departments Financial data security specialists
Personal Digital Asset Management
$500M–$1B globally (AI est.)
With the growing issue of digital inheritance, this technology's reliable information inheritance feature, enabled by decryption keys, could offer new value in personal digital life planning.
Estate planning software developers Digital legacy service providers Consumer electronics manufacturers
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a system for securely storing and automatically inputting sensitive strings using external, rewritable memory, with decryption keys stored in non-volatile memory. The claims were robustly established through a rigorous examination process, including overcoming a rejection with amendments, indicating strong and stable protection against infringement.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily protects the secure storage and automated input of credentials using external memory. White space exists in advanced biometric authentication methods, blockchain-based decentralized identity solutions, or hardware-level tamper-resistant secure elements for key storage.

Economic Impact
~$200K/year estimated operational efficiency per facility (AI est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

For an enterprise with 1,000 employees, assuming a 50% reduction (5 hours/year) in password management and entry tasks per employee. With an average hourly wage of $20/hour (AI est.), the annual savings are 1,000 employees × 5 hours × $20/hour = $100K (AI est.). Combined with potential damage avoidance from reduced information leakage risk, estimated at $100K/year (AI est.), the total economic impact could reach ~$200K/year (AI est.).

Speed to Market
6× faster than in-house development
This technology is based on the use of general-purpose rewritable memory like USB drives, minimizing the need for specific dedicated hardware development. Since the algorithms for automatic password input and security are already established, licensees can focus on integration into existing information terminal devices and systems, significantly shortening time-to-market. The robust technical foundation allows for rapid progression from Proof of Concept (PoC) to full-scale deployment.
Competitive Positioning

X: Security and Convenience Balance
Y: Implementation Cost Performance

Business Models & Applications
🤝 Technology Licensing
License the patent rights for this technology to information terminal device manufacturers and software vendors. It can be integrated into existing products or used for new product development.
💻 Integrated Device Solution
Develop and sell dedicated information terminal devices or USB devices equipped with this technology, offering them as high-security automated password input devices.
🔗 Security SaaS Integration
Provide a hardware module that integrates with existing IDaaS or password management SaaS platforms, supporting the implementation of stronger multi-factor authentication.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🔐 Cybersecurity
Enterprise SSO Auxiliary Device
This technology could be repurposed as a physical device to assist secure access for legacy systems or specific high-security applications not fully covered by existing Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions. Combining it with employee ID card readers could enable stronger authentication, potentially reducing unauthorized access incidents by 15-20%.
👵 Elderly Care & Monitoring
Elderly Digital Asset Management and Inheritance Service
This solution could simplify password management for elderly users of digital devices and provide a secure mechanism for family members or guardians to access and inherit digital assets. Leveraging the physical management and inheritance features of decryption keys could help resolve digital legacy issues, impacting a market segment valued at over $500M globally (AI est.).
🏥 Medical & Healthcare
Secure Access Device for Medical Information Systems
In medical settings handling sensitive patient information, this technology could enable healthcare professionals to access medical information systems quickly and securely. By minimizing information leakage risks, it could enhance operational efficiency for medical staff by an estimated 10-15% while ensuring compliance with patient data regulations.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technology Validation and Requirements Definition
Duration: 3 months
Validate the core functions of this technology and assess its compatibility with the licensee's existing system environment. Define detailed requirements and begin designing the initial prototype.
Phase 2: Prototype Development and System Integration
Duration: 6 months
Develop a prototype based on the design. Conduct integration tests with existing information terminal devices and PCs, and verify security and convenience within the internal network environment.
Phase 3: Pilot Deployment and Operations Optimization
Duration: 9 months
Implement a pilot deployment for selected departments or users to gather field feedback. Optimize the system based on operational data and prepare for company-wide rollout.
Technical Feasibility
The claims indicate that the rewritable memory is 'detachable' and that 'a mode switching means switches between a first mode and a second mode.' This suggests high compatibility with general-purpose USB interfaces and input device control technologies, implying relatively easy physical and logical integration into existing information terminal devices and computer systems. It is highly probable that new dedicated hardware development can be minimized, with deployment achievable through software adjustments.
Success Scenario
Upon adopting this technology, the total annual time employees spend on password entry could be reduced by up to 20% from current levels. This could significantly alleviate the IT help desk load related to passwords, allowing IT departments to reallocate resources to more strategic investments and security enhancements. Furthermore, reducing information leakage risks could enhance corporate trust and contribute to the long-term maintenance and improvement of brand value.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2021-131468
REGISTRATION NO.
7385838
FILING DATE
2021/07/02
GRANT DATE
2023/11/15
EXPIRATION DATE
2041/07/02
PATENT HOLDER
藤波　誠
Examination History
2023年04月13日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2023年04月13日
出願審査請求書
2023年04月13日
早期審査に関する事情説明書
2023年05月30日
早期審査に関する通知書
2023年08月08日
拒絶理由通知書
2023年08月30日
意見書
2023年08月30日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2023年10月24日
特許査定